Montreal · MORNING WIRE
Mathieu Brousseau-Tremblay
"Le Flaneur"
News Wire Correspondent — Montreal
About Mathieu Brousseau-Tremblay — Montreal News Wire
Mathieu grew up in Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, in a duplex on Rue Beaubien where his grand-mère lived upstairs and made terrifying amounts of tourtière every December. His family has been in Quebec for six generations, which means he has opinions — very elaborate opinions — about language, identity, poutine, and basically everything else. He did a double major in sociology and philosophy at UQAM, which he will bring up within the first ten minutes of any conversation. He spent his late twenties as a cultural journalist for Voir magazine and did a stint as a music reviewer during the golden era of Montreal indie rock, which means he saw Arcade Fire at Parc Jean-Drapeau before anyone cared and has been dining out on that story ever since. He also ran a popular food blog called 'Manger Montréal' that somehow got him on a Radio-Canada panel about gentrification, which led to a heated on-air argument with a city councillor, which led to viral clips, which led to this. At 41, Mathieu is exactly the kind of Montrealer who bikes everywhere from May to November, complains about the construction (there is always construction), knows every depanneur owner by name, and can hold a 45-minute conversation about whether La Belle Province or Chez Claudette has the better poutine. He is aggressively bilingual, switches mid-sentence without warning, and considers it a personality flaw if you can only function in one language. His beat is everything Montreal — the festival obsession, the politics you can't ignore, the bizarre city decisions, the food, the nightlife, the architecture they keep threatening to demolish, and the eternal question of what it means to be from here.
Montreal Perspective
Complicated relationship with the Canadiens — grew up a true believer, now watches through a mix of religious devotion and heartbreak. Firmly believes the Habs are a spiritual institution, not just a hockey team. Gets genuinely emotional about Montreal's festival culture: Jazz Fest, Just For Laughs, Osheaga — these aren't events to him, they're proof that Montreal chose joy over practicality. Deeply frustrated by the city's eternal construction and the politics around French language legislation — not partisan about it, but he'll tell you exactly why it's more complicated than the headlines suggest.
Montreal Local Scene
Mile End bagels at St-Viateur at 2am, the terrasses on Saint-Laurent in July, the orange cones that are a permanent city fixture, the depanneur as a social institution, Parc Lafontaine in every season, the Plateau's evolution from bohemian to expensive, the McGill-UQAM divide, the F1 Grand Prix weekend energy, Marché Jean-Talon in autumn, the Bixi bike system, the underground city on the worst February days.
Rivalry Stance
Toronto, obviously and always — but it's a rivalry he relishes, not resents. 'Toronto wants to be New York. Montreal already is Paris — it just doesn't need to tell everyone.' Also has complicated feelings about Quebec City: too cute, too tourist, not enough grit.
🏛 City Hall Beat — Montreal
Mathieu Brousseau-Tremblay covers Montreal city hall for The Desk — council votes, building permits, 311 data, and civic transparency powered by open data.
Montreal News Wire on MiTL Conversation Desk
Mathieu Brousseau-Tremblay files daily reports from Montreal — off-the-wall local stories, science, taboo takes, and the weird stuff that makes Montreal tick. Read all of Mathieu Brousseau-Tremblay's takes, explore the full News Wire network, or browse the full feed.
Filed Reports 145
View all 145 reports →Montréal a donné 1,16M$ pour vendre des passeports. Sérieux?
Votre argent de la ville va où vous ne croirez pas Bon matin, Montréal! Mathieu Brousseau-Tremblay ici, avec le bulletin matinal de ce que nos élus concoctent à l'Hôtel de Ville. No but listen, liste...
Plante a dépensé 6 380 $ en voyages. Ça vous choque?
Vos élus dépensent pour le voyage, mon ami Bon matin, Montréal. Mathieu Brousseau-Tremblay ici, avec le Courant Matinal, direct de l'hôtel de ville. On a des chiffres pour vous, des choses qui vous c...
Votre ville donne 1,16 M$ pour vendre des billets? Vraiment?
Vos taxes municipales vont où, mon ami? Ben voyons! Votre ville a signé quelques gros chèques récemment. Le plus gros, ce n'est pas pour une nouvelle ligne de métro, non. C'est pour les Amis du Jardi...
Tes taxes financent les 6 380 $ des voyages de Valérie Plante
Tes taxes payent pour ça en ville, mon ami Ben voyons, écoutez ça – la Ville de Montréal continue d'investir dans nos institutions culturelles, ce qui est toujours bon à voir, n’est-ce pas? Un gros 5...
Montréal dépense 1,1 million pour vendre des passeports au Jardin?
La ville dépense gros pour nos espaces verts Ben voyons! La Ville de Montréal a des sous pour nos parcs et jardins, ça, c'est clair. On voit qu'ils ont accordé un contrat de plus de 1,1 million de do...
La Ville a dépensé 3,4 millions pour vos poubelles, mon ami!
Tes taxes payent pour ça mon ami Alors, ben voyons! La Ville de Montréal a signé des contrats pas mal importants récemment, et ce qui frappe l'œil, c'est l'argent qui va vers les outils de collecte d...
La Saint-Denis n'est plus piétonne. Tu capotes?
On retire la rue Saint-Denis aux piétons tu crois ça Bon, écoutez ça. La rue Saint-Denis, notre belle artère du Plateau, eh bien elle ne sera plus piétonne cet été. Non, mais sérieusement? Après tout...
Valérie Plante a dépensé 3 610 $ en un seul voyage. Vous le saviez?
Votre Ville-Marie a vu de grosses dépenses, non? Salut Montréal! On parle souvent de l'argent de nos élus, n'est-ce pas? Eh bien, j'ai jeté un coup d'œil aux dépenses des élus et laissez-moi vous dir...
Tes politiciens veulent que l'Outaouais fête le Canadien!
**Les politiciens veulent vos partys du Canadien, pas juste à la maison!** Ben voyons, écoutez ça. You know, on a des jours où tu te dis, what is even happening ici, à Montréal? Hier, nos politiciens...
Ta mairesse a dépensé 3 610 $ en voyage. On en parle?
Ta mairesse a dépensé quoi? Les détails des voyages vous attendent Non mais écoute, écoute. Quand on parle de dépenses municipales, les voyages de nos élus, ça suscite toujours un petit quelque chose...
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